The New Mexico Interfaith Dialogue will be having an in-person dialogue on Thursday March 20th, 7:00 to 8:30 pm, at The Cathedral of St. John, located at 318 Silver Ave, Albuquerque, NM 87102. Our speaker will be Rev. Erica Lea-Simka. We look forward to an engaging dialogue about Labyrinths: Embodied Interfaith Prayers for Peace. Rev. […]
The 30th Annual Spring Colloquium
The New Mexico Interfaith Dialogue invites you to attend our 2025 Spring Colloquium: Stereotypes
Sunday, May 4, 2025 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Doors open at 12:45 Light snacks provided
Location: Congregation Albert, 3800 Louisiana Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110
We look forward to our speakers helping us to better understand Stereotypes as we consider questions such as:
Speakers:
Rev. Monsignor Bennett J. Voorhies
Monsignor Bennett J. Voorhies was born on November 11, 1957 in Lafayette, Louisiana. He was educated by the Christian Brothers and the Mount Carmel Sisters, graduating from Cathedral-Carmel High School in 1975.
Monsignor Voorhies studied under the Jesuits, graduating from Loyola University in New Orleans in 1979. As a student of the North American College in Rome, Monsignor did theological studies under the Dominicans at the Angelicum University and under the Benedictines at the Atheneum San Anselmo where he obtained his M.A. in Sacramental Theology.
Pope John Paul II ordained Monsignor Voorhies a priest for the Archdiocese of Lafayette on June 12, 1983. He has had many parish assignments in the Diocese of Lafayette as well as serving as Director of Vocations and Seminarians under then Bishop Harry Flynn.
Monsignor Voorhies has served over 28 years in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe beginning with an assignment at Santa Maria de la Paz in Santa Fe in 1997. Thereafter, he served for almost four years as Pastor of St. Anthony’s Church in Pecos. In June of 2001, Monsignor Voorhies was appointed Chancellor, Moderator of the Curia and Vicar for Priests for the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. After a brief return to his home diocese in Louisiana where he served in the spring of 2005, Monsignor returned and was incardinated into the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and was appointed to Our Lady of the Annunciation Church and School, where he presently serves as Pastor.
Rabbi Celia Surget
Celia Surget grew up in a multicultural home in Geneva, Switzerland, her mother is American and her father French. Her family has been committed to Reform Judaism for several generations. Both of her parents were professional musicians with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, before her mother became a Jewish educator.
Rabbi Surget studied History of Religions, Hebrew and Philosophy at the University of Geneva and began her Rabbinic studies at the Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem and New-York, before transferring to the Leo Baeck College in London. On graduating, she spent four years working for the MJLF (Mouvement Juif Liberal de France) in Paris, where she worked both as a congregational Rabbi and as Director of Education. In 2011 she joined Radlett Reform Synagogue (just north of London in the United Kingdom) as the Associate Rabbi and Director of Education.
Rabbi Surget is a founding member of Kerem, the French Liberal rabbinic association. During her time in Paris, she co-wrote a Talmud Torah curriculum designed to meet the specific needs of the French Progressive congregations and she developed informal education programmes such as camps and Israel tours.
While in London, she served as chair of the Assembly of Reform Rabbis and Cantors UK, chair of Arzenu UK and chaired the committee that brought a code of ethics and processes to the UK based Progressive movements.
In her free time, Rabbi Surget enjoys baking, slowly running marathons, going to the opera and the amazing New Mexico outdoors.
Dr. Aamna Nayyar
Aamna Nayyar earned her doctorate degree in dentistry from Liaquat University of Medical and Health Science in Jamshoro, Pakistan with a silver medal for highest honors. She has served as the Director of the Department of Dental Health at Santa Fe Community College in New Mexico, USA since 2002 and is a presenter at various seminars and conferences at the regional, state, national, and international levels. She is a leadership graduate from the SFCC Leadership Academy, and American Dental Education Association [ADEA]. Dr. Nayyar is also a member of American Dental Education Association. She is a recipient of SFCC’s Staff excellence award, National Institute of Staff and Organization Development [NISOD] staff excellence award, and Quality Matters [QM] excellence award for “making a difference in students.” She volunteers for many non-profit projects, such as, ICNM Sisters Food Project, and serving as a board member of a non for profit school and Villa Therese catholic Charities [VTCC] clinic. She has been an active member of Diversity Committee at SFCC since 2002. She has twice served as the chair of the same committee. She has served as the chair and the co-chair of the New Mexico Oral Health Coalition [NMOHC] also.
She has authored and contributed to allied dental textbooks, and authored Continuing Education courses. She is a reviewer of many dental textbooks. She has co-authored an interfaith prayers book also.
Moderator Victor Raigoza
Victor Raigoza was born in Pueblo, Colorado, into a multicultural community that nurtured my appreciation for diversity. As the son of a first-generation father from Mexico and a mother whose family has been in the U.S. for centuries, he’s always been deeply connected to the values of cultural diversity and history.
After earning a degree in Chemistry and Biology from the University of Southern Colorado, he moved to New Mexico, where he has contributed to his community in various leadership roles. He has served as Chair of the Archdiocese Legislative Review Board, Vice Chair of the Bernalillo County Democratic Party, and President of the New Mexico Holocaust and Intolerance Museum. Currently, he is honored to serve as a board member of the National Hispanic Cultural Center.
Professionally, he is a Financial Advisor with a strong commitment to both finance and diversity. He was proud to serve on the National Grassroots Task Force for Edward Jones and as a founding member of the Edward Jones Multicultural Advisory Board. Today, Victor runs his own financial firm and frequently speak nationally on topics of finance and diversity, hoping to continue fostering inclusion and financial literacy across all communities.
You can also download a high-resolution PDF of a full-page flyer to print and post at your house of worship: CLICK HERE.
Registration fee: $30.00/students $15.00 Walk-ins welcome (cash only)
Join the NM Interfaith Dialogue’s email list to be kept apprised of Colloquium news and monthly Dialogue meetings!
The New Mexico Interfaith Dialogue began in 1982 as an interpersonal dialogue between Albuquerque-area priest, Father Ernest Falardo, and Rabbi Paul Citrin of Congregation Albert, in response to the Vatican II document Nostra Aetate.
The conversation soon expanded to include educators within both faith traditions. During the early years, from 1984 to 1993, the Dialogue held educational programs and joint prayer services.
During those years as the Jewish-Catholic Dialogue, the purposes were: “to promote understanding and goodwill among the peoples of the Jewish and Catholic religions; to conduct religious, social and educational programs designed to increase community awareness and sensitivity toward issues relating to Christians and Jews; to engage in various forms of ecumenical dialogue and interaction; and to engage in such other similar activities permissible under law to nonprofit corporations of this nature and character.”
The first Jewish-Catholic Dialogue Colloquium was held in 1994. A colloquium is an hours-long gathering with knowledgeable speakers providing thought-provoking presentations on religious topics, followed by discussion among audience participants.
By 2012, the Dialogue and Colloquium included enough Christian non-Catholic participants that changing to a more inclusive name was determined to be appropriate. The organization changed its name to the Jewish-Christian Dialogue.
During Colloquia held 2006 to 2009, the presentations included all three Abrahamic faith perspectives: Jews, Christians and Muslims. In post-event evaluations, many attendees requested continuing and increased Muslim engagement. In 2015, the organization’s name was changed once again to the New Mexico Interfaith Dialogue, expanding the conversation to become more inclusive.
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